On Thursday, November 16, the DeGolyer Library hosted David Kruger to discuss his book, J.C. Penney: the Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. David kept the audience entranced with a slideshow of over 100 images, and people stayed after the event to chat.
Some might know that the store in the mall, JCPenney, was founded by a man, James Cash Penney, but probably only a few know about Mr. Penney’s wide-ranging work in cattle breeding. The DeGolyer Library has the records of both Mr. Penney, the man and JCPenney, the company.
David Kruger is the Agricultural Research and Instruction Librarian at the William Robertson Coe Library at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. His interest in the Penney Company began in his childhood. David began work on this book in 2009, and visited the DeGolyer Library multiple times to study the archives. He also talked with people who knew Mr. Penney as a farmer. The book was published in 2017.
Far from a dry academic tome, J.C. Penney: the Man, the Store, and American Agriculture makes for an enjoyable reading. It is worth buying a copy (or even Interlibrary Loan it.) The Wall Street Journal gave David’s book a very positive review–as did Successful Farming magazine.